What happens to that man whoFollows a flag with its loftyIdeals, but gets lost in the lies?A man puts on a uniform, andProudly goes to someone else'sLand, who may questionably beAn enemy...or not.

At first he searches forFighters, but after a while itDoesn't matter who is atThe other end of a weapon's barrel.They call them casualties of war,Even the children. Eventually theFace of the enemy meansEvery single one of THEM.

What happens to that man?He went to boot camp toUndress his sentimentality andShed his humanity untilNothing is left in his soul,Except his instinct to kill,Indiscriminately and competently,Without emotion, regret orEmpathy for all those who die.

What happens to that man?What happens when he comesHome and the parade is over,And he's left with scarsOn his brain or missing aPart of himself? Maybe, just maybeHe will awaken one day to discoverThe oil, blood stains, andCorporate logos sewn intoThe fine threads betweenThe stars and stripes.

“I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.”― Smedley D. Butler, War is a Racket: The Antiwar Classic by America's Most Decorated Soldier